NHS nursing and consultant

● Equivalent of 3,200 nursing and midwifery posts now vacant as Scottish Government comes under fire over record on health

The number of nursing and consultancy vacancies in Scotland has reached a record high.

Official figures revealed a shortfall of more than 470 consultants and 3,200 nurses and midwives.

This led Labour to claim that the Scottish Government’s “mismanagement” of the NHS has left the service “on life support”.

Attheendofjune2017,health service statistics showed 8.5 per cent of consultant posts and 5.2 per cent of nursing and midwifery jobs were vacant, with increasing numbers of posts unfilled. Health visitors and paediatric services have the highest rates, with many having lain empty for more than six months.

It is also the first time ever that nursing and midwifery vacancy rates have breached the 5 per cent mark.

Nearly half of those have been vacant for more than six months, while some disciplines – such as clinical radiology – have vacancy rates of almost 15 per cent.

The statistics puts more pressure on the SNP, which has been consistently criticised for its stewardship of the NHS over the past decade. 0 Health secretary Shona Robison defended NHS record

The increase in vacancies means more money has to be spent on expensive bank and agency nurses, with many wards being left under-staffed.

The Royal College of Nursing’s associate director Norman Provan said: “We are seeing record numbers of vacancies across the NHS in Scotland.

“This is further indication that the Scottish Government and health boards have failed to future-proof the workforce.

“Faced with gaps in their teams, nursing staff are working under enormous pressure and constantly being asked to do more with less.”

Opposition politicians were quick to criticise the SNP’S stewardship of the NHS.

Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said: “The Nationalists have been in charge of health for a decade and in that time have presided over failure. This is a problem